Morning came quietly. Golden sunlight spilled through the window and warmed Kael’s face.

  He woke with a sigh, feeling the dull weight of a sleepless night. The message still echoed in his mind.

  Was it really a joke, he wondered while fastening his robes, or should I take it seriously? I already have enemies…. And their number keeps rising.

  For a moment he considered taking the letter with him but decided against it. Better to leave it behind, where it couldn't whisper from his pocket.

  When he stepped outside, Zaros was already waiting at the gate.

  "You don't have to walk with me every morning, you know?“

  “It’s no trouble,” Zaros replied. “Consider it part of my routine.”

  Kael raised an eyebrow. “If you say so… Tell me, did you prank me yesterday?“

  "Prank you? Why would I? You’d know if I did,“ Zaros said, winking.

  Kael sighed. “Thought so.“

  Seeing his friend’s troubled look, Zaros grew serious.

  "What happened?“

  Kael hesitated, then spoke quietly. “Nothing, really. I just received a letter last night. It said I should beware of shadows, that they can swallow me whole. It was signed as ?A friend."

  Zaros frowned. “That’s… cryptic. Could mean anything. Maybe your mysterious ‘friend’ is a secret admirer, and the shadows are just… other women?”

  Kael smirked. “That’s an interesting interpretation.”

  They both laughed, the tension briefly broken.

  As they approached the academy's lecture hall, Zaros pointed across the courtyard.

  "Look, Astra, the most beautiful girl here. Maybe she’s your admirer. I’d say yes if she wrote me anything.“

  "I doubt it.“ Kael said, unimpressed, “And even if she were, I have no time for romance.”

  "Why not? That’s the first time I’ve heard you talk about love.“

  Kael adjusted his collar. “Love is for those without ambition. It’s a construct that you need when you’ve nothing else to strive for.“

  Zaros snorted. “That’s… a rather dark philosophy, don’t you think?”

  "I don't care. Anyway, I’m late.

  "Just swing your sword a few times and you’ll be fine,“ Zaros called after him.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kael waved without turning. “Yeah, yeah.”

  Zaros watched him go, his grin fading to a whisper.

  "You can do it. I know you can.“

  ...

  The academy’s training grounds were already alive with noise. Steel clashing, commands shouted, laughter echoing between the walls.

  Then one voice silenced the rest.

  "Students! Today’s session will be under my direction,“ barked Swordmaster Turin.

  "Choose your weapons and begin your drills!“

  Kael waited until the crowd dispersed before stepping to the weapon rack. His hand hovered between a saber and a longsword.

  Classic or quick? he thought, then took a longsword; he needed reach more than flair.

  He approached a training dummy and began to practice, blade slicing through the air.

  My weakness is my strength, he mused, parrying an invisible strike. I can endure, but endurance alone won’t win a fight. I must read my enemy, not merely block him.

  So deep was his focus that he didn't hear his name until the third shout.

  "Kael! You sleeper! I’ve called you for two minutes!“

  Swordmaster Turin’s voice boomed across the field. "You’ll be sparring next against Liam.“

  Kael froze. “Against Liam? But he’s one of the best swordsmen here. I doubt he wants to waste time on me.“

  Turin’s expression was unreadable. "He asked for this match. He said he wanted to test himself and you. My duty is to help all my students grow. Take your weapon, step into the circle, and fight. Don't worry, our healers will mend any cuts. If a vital blow is about to land, I’ll intervene.“

  Kael sighed, tightened his grip, and stepped into the dueling circle. Students gathered around in a wide ring. Liam stood opposite, grinning like a wolf.

  "Why do you want to fight me, Liam? Just to humiliate me? There are easier ways.“

  Liam’s grin sharpened. “Humiliate you? No, I want to break you. You stand for everything I despise. Your calm, your eyes, your arrogance. You think you’re better than us, don’t you, Spawn of Darkness?“

  Kael met his gaze, unflinching. “You think I feel above you? No. I feel alone. I hate what I am, my face, my past, everything I don't remember. You call it arrogance, but it’s isolation. And your jealousy blinds you:“

  Liam's expression twisted.

  He lunged, straight for Kael's heart.

  Kael barely blocked in time, steel screaming against steel. He looked to Turin, but the swordmaster only barked:

  "Nothing fatal yet. Continue! One more attempt like that, Liam, and it’s over.”

  Liam said nothing. He attacked again, relentlessly. His strikes came faster and sharper. Kael deflected what he could, but fatigue began to drag at his limbs.

  He’s too fast. Too strong. I can’t hold this much longer.

  Liam struck again. Kael blocked. Too slow. The next blow came from the side. He stumbled and barely caught himself. Another. Too fast. Too strong.

  Should I use it? the thought rose unbidden, cold and tempting. No. The cost is too high… but—

  He caught Liam’s sneer and the laughter of the crowd at the edge of his vision. Something inside him twisted.

  Enough.

  Kronos.

  He didn’t speak the word. He remembered it. It formed soundlessly in his mind, too heavy for breath, too old for language. And the world answered.

  The air trembled. And then—Kael saw it.

  Not the present, but the next heartbeat. The shift in Liam's stance before it happened, the flicker of movement that hadn't yet begun.

  The future unfolded around him like threads of light, fragile, weightless, and waiting to be chosen.

  Step right, a feint. Real strike coming low, left leg.

  Kael moved before Liam did, blade flashing down. His sword caught Liam’s thigh, cutting deep. Liam cried out, losing balance. For the first time, fear flashed in Liam’s eyes, brief and raw, before Kael’s blade stopped at his throat.

  No one moved. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. The silence that followed was heavier than applause.

  Then, murmur. Gasps.

  Swordmaster Turin raised his hand.

  "Enough! The duel is over. Kael wins.“

  Kael lowered his blade slowly and leaned close enough for only Liam to hear.

  "Mock me all you like. But no one will ever break me.“

  He turned and walked from the circle without looking back.

  Behind him, the whispers began.